Bearing and oiling means therefor



R. H. RICE. I BEARING AND OILING MEANS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-i3. 19H.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

I nven'tor; Richer-cl H. Rice,

RICHARD H.

RICE, OF SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BEARING AND OILING MEAN S THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Application filed August 18, 1917. Serial No. 185,864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, RICHARD H. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residin at Swampscott, in the county of Essex, tate of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bearings and Oiling Means Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

- The present invention relates to bearings and particularl ball bearings which are arranged to be ubricated by means of oil rinlgs.

he object of the invention is to rovlde an improved bearing structure w ich is simple to build, easy to assemble and dismantle, and which will insure ample lubrication of the bearing surfaces.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying specification and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a bearing embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2.2, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 5 indicates a shaft, the end of which is to be supported in a bearing, and 6 indicates a portion of a casing having a packing 7 throu h which the end of the shaft extends. uitably sup ported by the casi 6 is a bearing housing 8 in which the end 0 shaft 5 is located. Surrounding the shaft 5 where it asses into the housing 8 is a packing 9. Insi e of the housin 8 is a bearing frame comprising an annu ar ring 10 supported by a web 11 and carried in ring 10 1s the outer race member 12 of a ball bearing, the inner race member 13 being carried by the shaft. The ball bearing is held between the sleeves 14: and 15, the sleeve 15 being locked in position by a nut 16 screwed over the end of the shaft 5 which is reduced in diameter and threaded for this purpose. 17 indicates the balls of the hearing. The lower portion of bearing housing 8 serves as an oil reservoir 18 into which the oil ring or rings 19 dip. In the housing 8 opposite the end of shaft 5 is an opening 20 closed by a cap 21. The cap 21 comprises an annular wall 22 which fits the opening 20 and which is provided with an annular flange 23 which surrounds the sleeve 15. The end surface of flange 23 is spaced slightly from the ball bearing and rests at its lower edge on a ledge 24 on the bearing frame ring 10. This forms a small pocket or chamber 25 for containing lubricant. The flange 23 is formed with an eccentric groove 26 which on' its upper side extends entirely through the flange, and in this groove is located the oil rin 19. In the top of the housing 8 is an oil fi ling opening 26' and in the bottom of the housing is a drain opening 27 closed by a pllu 28. Directly beneath'the sleeve 15 in t e flange 23 of the bearin cap is a groove 29 which slopes towar the pocket 25. In the flange 23 is an opening 30 which connects the space within the cap 21 to the reservoir 18 and in the web 11 is an opening 31 for the lubricant to flow through.

The oil ring 19, as shown in Fig. 1, rests on the sleeve 15 and as the shaft turns oil is carried by it up onto the sleeve. The greater portion of this oil runs along the sleeve toward the bearing and drips off. into the pocket 25 or is thrown off from the sleeve and is led to the pocket by groove 29. The remainder runs toward the end of the shaft and drips off and is returned to the reservoir 18 through opening 30. The oil collected in pocket or chamber 25 can only return to reservoir 18 by passing through the bearing. By this arrangement there is always a supply of oil passing from the pocket 25 through the bearing back to the reservoir 18.

The arrangement of the eccentric groove 26 in the flange 23 is such that when the cap 21 is turned through an angle of 180 from the position shown in Fig. 1, the oil ring 19 will be lifted up out of the oil and brought entirely within the roove 26. The cap 21 and oil rin 19 can t en be removed together from the ousing 8 without danger of injuring the oil ring. This makes it a very simple matter to remove the oil ring.

It Wlll also be noted that the one wall of the lubricant pocket 25 is formed by the flange 23 which carries the oil ring 19. When these parts are removed, therefore, the bearing is immediately accessible for inslpection and repair.

t will be understood, of course, that my invention is not limited to ball bearings and also that if found desirable more than one eccentric groove 26 may be provided for carrying oil rings.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the princi le of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof an oil ring which conveys lubricant fromthe.

reservoir to saidpocket. I v

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a shaft, a housing into which the end of the shaft projects, said housing having a lubricant reservoir therein, a bearing in the housingin which the shaft is supported, means forming a pocket adjacent the bearing from which lubricant is fed to the bearin a member surrounding the end of the s aft and having an eccentric annular groove therein, and an oil ring supported in said. groove for conveying lubricant from the reservoir to said pocket, said member being adapted to be turned to bring the oil ring entirely within the confines ofsaid groove.

3. The combination of a shaft, a housing into which the shaft projects, a bearing rem ss therein for the shaft, an annular'member which slips over the end of the shaft and is removably supported by the housing, said member having an eccentric groove therein -which extends entirely through it on one side, and an oil ring in said groove, said member when one position permitting the which projects 'through' said opening and v surrounds the shaft, said member being spaced fromsaid'bracket to form a pocket ad acent the hearing from which lubricant is fed to thebeari'ng, said member being 

